Rotary engine.



No. 895,841. PATENT'ED AUG. 11, 1908.

N G. W. BROWN.

ROTARY ENGINE.

APPLIOA FILED FEB.18, 1908.

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witugooeo W fin GEORGE WALTER BROWN, OF LEDGEDALE, PENNSYLVANIA.

ROTARY ENGINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 11, 1908.

Application filed February 18, 1908. Serial No. 416,510.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE WALTER BROWN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Ledgedale, in the county of Wayne and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Rotary Engine, of which the following is a specification.

This invention has reference to improvements in rotary engines, and its primary obj ect is to provide an engine wherein the friction of the steam within the engine is reduced to a minimum. For this purpose the steam channel or course is carried by the rotor of the engine and is preferably made circular in cross-section with the stationary member of the engine occupying avery small part of the steam course.

The invention in its practical embodiment com rises a rotary member, in the rim of whic there is a continuous steam course or conduit circular in cross-section, or substantially circular in cross sectionfg'and this rotary member is surrounded by a comparatively thin stationary member entering the rotary member at the periphery, and at suitable intervals the stationary member carries abutments entering the steam course and provided with packing for rendering the junction between the abutment and the walls of the steam course substantially steam tight. The rotary member is provided with a suitable number of radially movable vanes or blades adapted to 'traverse the steam course into and out of the same at proper intervals by suitable mechanism for the purpose, so that when a blade or vane a proaches an abutment it is moved radial y inward so as to escape hitting the abutment. Suitable steam and exhaust ports are provided at proper intervals, and since, as is customary in engines of this type, the steam port may be made the exhaust port and the exhaust port may be made the steam port, the engine becomes reversible. The construction of the rotary member and stationary member and the relation one to' the other permits steam tight packing to be applied in the most advantageous manner.

It is also a feature of the present invention that the area of the parts subjected to the movement of the steam after having once entered the engine, is reduced to a minimum. The invention will be best understood by a consideration of the following detail description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, in which drawings Figure 1 is a central section at right angles to the power shaft, with some parts shown in elevation. Fig. 2 is a section on the line 9c:c of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a section similar to that of Fig. 1 but showing an engine provided with a greater number of vanes or radial pistons. Fig. 4 is a section on the radial line of one of the vanes or pistons, and Figs. 5 to 8 are detail views.

Referring to the drawings, there is shown an annular stationary member 1 constituting the stator of the engine. \Vithin this stationary member and concentric therewith, is a rotatable member 2 constituting the rotor of the engine and its member is formed with a rim portion 3 through the length of which there extends a circular channel 1, opening radially to the periphery of the member 3 to receive the inner portion of the stator 1. The inner edge of the stator is curved on an arc conforming to the curvature of the circular steam channel or course 4. The stator 1 is presumed to be fixedly mounted in any suitable manner. The rim 3 is secured to or cast with spokes 5 radiating from a hub 6 fast on a shaft 7, by means of which power may be transmitted from the engine to the work.

At suitable intervals the rotor is formed with inwardly-projecting abutments 8 conforming in shape to that of the cross section of the steam course. These abutments may be two in number diametrically disposed and extending radially inward, as in Fig. 1, or four in number and equidistantly disposed, as shown in Fig. 3, or any other proper disposition of these abutments may be made. The abutments 8 are provided with packing 9 disposed in a circumferential groove about the circular-portion ofthe abutment so as to render the junction between the abutment and the inner face of the steam course substantially steam tight.

At appropriately disposed points on the rim 3 are inwardly-projecting bosses 10 formed with radial slots 11 crossing the steam course. Within these slots are confined the vanes or pistons 12 of the rotor, the slots guiding these vanes or pistons in a radial direction. The pistons 12 may be wider than the diameter of the steam course so as to completely block the same when moved across it without the necessity of any special packing. By slightly tapering the pistons and the walls of the slots 11, the pistons when moved across the steam course may make metallic contact with the walls of the slots in such manner as to render the junction steam tight after the practice in gate valves. Each piston is provided witlf a stem 13 extending radially inward through the boss 10 and through a packing gland 14,

. which latter is adapted to the counterbored portion 15 about the passage provided for a stem 13, and this counterbore may be filled with suitable packing 16. The inner end of each stem 13 passes through a web 17 extending between the spokes 5 near the hub 6, the web 17 acting as a guide for the inner end of the stem 13. Between the gland 14 and the web 17 each stem 13 is formed with an eye 18 receiving the reduced end 19 of the longer arm of a lever 20, which lever is pivoted upon an car 21 rising from a spider arm 22 mounted on the shaft 7. Each spider arm at its outer end is secured to one side of the rim 3 by two spaced braces 28, the said braces being disposed one outside the other on a radial line.

Fast on the stator 1 is an annular flange 24 having its free edge radially inwardly directed, as indicated at 25 and terminating in a ledge 26 directed toward the stator and in most part concentric with the shaft-7. At intervals, however, the flange 24 is curved outward, as indicated at 27, and the ledge 26 is likewise curved to maintain its parallelism with the inner face of the flange 24 throughout the circumference thereof.

Each lever 20 extends at its shorter end through an eye 28 formed in the corresponding end of a rod 29 passed through matched perforations in the corresponding two braces 23. The outer end of each rod 29 carries two rollers 30, one adapted to engage between the inner wall of the flange 24 and the outer wall of the ledge 26, while the other roller 30 simply bears against the inner wall of the flange 24.

When the rotor is in motion the bars 29 participate in this motion and the rollers 30 travel in the track formed between the ledge 26 and the inner wall of the flange 24, being confined in this position by the coaction of the ledge 26 and inner wall of the flange. While traveling in that portion of the track which is concentric with the shaft 7 the rods 29 remain quiescent so far as any relative movement between them and their supports is concerned. When, however, an outwardly-curved portion of the track is encountered the rollers following this curved track will cause the rods 29 to be moved outward and then inward in a radial direction in accordance with the curvature of the track.

The parts are so adjusted that when the rollers 30 are traveling in the circular portion of the track the pistons 12 are in their outermost positions across the steam course 4. As a piston approaches an abutment 8 the rollers 30 encounter an outwardly-curved portion of the track and the corresponding piston is moved radially inward until entirely free from the steam course, so that it may pass an abutment without interference. When, however, this abutment has been passed the curvature of the track is such that the piston is again forced radially outward across the steam course.

On each side of each abutment are ports 31 communicating with pipes 32 which may constitute either the steam or exhaust pipes of the engine.

Let it be assumed that the rotor of the structure shown in Fig. 1 is moving counter clockwise and that those ports 31 shown ooincident with the pistons 12 are the steam inlet ports while the other ports are the exhaust ports. In this position of the parts steam is flowing into the steam course and is driving the rotor because of its pressure against the other or more remote pistons. As the movement of the rotor continues the pistons opposite the steam ports are moved radially outward until ultimately they are across the steam course. Now, the steam entering through the ports 31 reacts against the pistons last considered and the corresponding face of the abutments 8, thus driving the engine rotatively. In the meantime steam is exhausted through the exhaust ports, and ultimately the other pistons approaching the abutments are withdrawn into their seats to be again projected after the abutments are passed. Thus, the engine continues to rotate while the steam used to impel the rotor remains practically quiescent in the steam course without frictional movement against the walls of the same, except where it engages a small surface of the stator forming a part of the circumferential wall of the steam course. In order that there may be no leak of steam between the stator and rotor, therotor is channeled on each side of the stator where the latter enters it, and annular packing glands 33 rest in these channels and confine suitable packing 34 between the adjacent walls of the stator and rotor. The packing at this point is so easily accomplished that ordinary steam packing is found eflicient for the purpose.

The structure of Fig. 1 shows two diametrically opposed abutments 8 and four pistons 12. It is quite evident that but two pistons and two abutments might be used or more than four pistons might be used. An example of the multiplicity of pistons and abutments is illustrated in Fig. 3, where four abutments are shown, and six pistons and the space between each abutment is entered by two ports connected to pipes-which may be either the steam or exhaust pipes in accordance with the direction of movement of the rotor. In this last-named structure, namely, that of Fig. 3, it is evident that the track guiding the rollers 30 must have a corresponding number of -outwardly directed portions to move the pistons out of line of the abutments at the proper time.

By providing two braces 23, the rods 29 are suitably guided and the strain is taken off of them in the operation, and it is found that but a single support for the ear 21 will be necessary. Wh' e the use of a steam course rectangular in cross section is not rohibited by this invention still the circu ar steam course, that is circular in cross sections, is advantageous in presenting less frictional surface to the steam and also making the packing between the stator and rotor much more simple.

In the foregoing description the stator has been considered as the exterior member and the rotor as the interior member, and in the particular embodiment of the invention shown this is true, but the parts are readily reversible and the rotor may be made the exterior member with the stator the interior member.

Other changes, all of which will be readily apparent to the constructive engineer, may be made in the practical embodiment of the invention without in any manner departing from the invention.

What is claimed is 1. A rotary engine comprising an annular stator, an annular rotor, interior to the stator, radially movable pistons carried by the rotor, a support carried by the rotor at one side thereof, levers pivoted to the support and at one end connected to the pistons, an annular flange projecting from the stator and provided with a guiding ledge, and rods each at one end engaging the ledge and at the other end engaging one of the levers.

2. A rotary engine comprising an annular stator, an annular rotor interior to the stator, radially movable pistons carried by the rotor,

a support carried by the rotor at one side thereof, levers pivoted to the support and at one end connected to the pistons, an annular flange projecting from the stator and provided with a guiding ledge, and rods, each having at one end a pair of rollers in one position to engage the edge and both in position to engage the flange, said rods being each connected to a respective one of the levers.

3. A rotary engine comprising an annular stator, an annular rotor interior to the stator, radially movable istons carried by the rotor, a support carried by the rotor at one side thereof and spaced laterally therefrom, levers pivoted to the support and at one end connected to the istons, an annular flange roj ecting from t e stator and provided wit an inturned guiding ledge curved at intervals corresponding to the points of actuation of the piston, and rods each having at one end a pair of rollers, one in position to engage the edge and both in position to engage the flange, said rods each being connected to a respective one of the levers.

4. A rotary engine comprising an annular stator, an annular rotor interior to the stator, radially movable pistons carried by the rotor and having piston rods extending toward the axis of the rotor, a s ider at one side of the rotor, radial pairs of braces connecting the spider to the rotor, sliding rods mounted in the braces, levers connecting one end of the rods to the inner ends of the respective piston rods, said sliding rods having rollers on their outer ends, and a flange mounted on the said rotor and provided with a guiding ledge re-.

ceiving the rollers of the sliding rods.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto aflixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

GEORGE WALTER BROWN.

Witnesses:

FLOYD BORTREE, R. B. SIMONs. 

